Liquid soap mixing device



April 28, 1936. E. J. McGRAEL LIQUID SOAP MIXING DEVICE Filed Dec. 29,1934 Patented Apr. 28, 1936 UNITED STATES LIQUID SOAP MIXING DEVICEEdward J. McGrael, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to S. Strum: & Sons, Inc.,Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application December29,1934, Serial No. 759,721

1 Claim.

My invention relates to apparatus for mixing liquid soap and water andfor discharging it' in a directed stream under pressure and for anapparatus wherein the flowing stream of water with which the soap is tobe mixed operates to draw the liquid soap into the stream and effect themixing of the soap and water.

In view of the widespread and extensive use of a mixture of soap andwater in automobile establishments and other industrial enterprises,

it is important to provide apparatus for mixing the soap and water inthe exact desired proportion without supervision thereof on the part ofthe user. It is undesirable to allow the unskilled performed.

The present invention provides an arrangement wherein the soap and waterare automatically mixed in predetermined proportions and without theloss of any time, whereby the soap may be most efliciently andeconomically used.

' Moreover, the present invention provides an arrangement wherein theliquid soap is prevented from caking, air-hardening, or otherwisesolidifying in the various parts of the apparatus so that the apparatusmay be shut down over night, over the week-end, or for indefiniteperiods without accumulation of soap forming any part thereof where itwould interfere with the proper functioning of the device.

The invention also provides a restricted discharge orifice for themixture of the liquid soap and water so that the mixture discharged intoa bucket or other container may be thoroughly mixed and cause theformation of an appreciable amount of suds above the surface of themixture.

The invention may be readily understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawing, in which the single figure discloses, more or lessdiagrammatically, a view partly in section and partly in 45 elevation ofone embodiment of my invention.

In the drawing, 2 designates a water supply line, to which is connectedan aspirating device or ejector 3 by means of an elbow 4. The aspiratingdevice may be of any one of a number of 50 standard makes or of anypreferred construction and comprising the usual elements more or lessconventionally shown, these being a cone-shaped nozzle or jet 5, theapex of which is directed into the open end of a venturi 6, there beingan an- 55 nular suction chamber I. The venturl leads into a dischargepipe 8 to the end of which is fastened a control valve 9, below which isa discharge tube or spout II), the end of which is restricted so as tocause the mixture to be discharged in a compact stream. Communicating 5with the suction chamber I of the aspirator 3 is a soap intake pipe IIhaving an extension I2, which extends into the soap container orreservoir I3. The extension I2, which extends almost to the bottom ofthe container I3, is provided 10 at its lower end with a check valve I4,which allows a liquid soap to pass upwardly through pipe I2 but whichprevents a back flow of any liquid. Pipe II has a regulating or needlevalve I5 preferably located adjacent the point where 15 with themixture, once the valve is properly ad- 29 justed the valve handle I6may be removed or a wrench may be used to set the valve in place of thehandle I6.

In the operation of the device, the opening of valve 9 causes water tofiowfrom the supply line 25 2, this being connected to any source ofwater supply. As soon as the water starts to flow, liquid soap will bedrawn from the reservoir I3 through tube I2 and discharged into thesuction space I, where it will be drawn into the stream 30 of water.

While the stream of water is flowing, the valve I5 is adjusted to allowthe desired amount of soap to be drawn into the water stream. The valvel5 once adjusted need notbe again ma- 35 nipulated unless and until itis desired to change the proportionv of soap in the mixture issuing fromorifice, I0. Since the valve 9 is below the aspirator, it is apparentthat the pipe 8 and the aspirator will be always filled with water andthe soap. intake pipe will be always filled with soap or water or amixture thereof whether or not water is actually passing through theapparatus, the check valve it effectively preventing any back-flow ofsoap. The end of pipe I I where it discharges into the suction chamberI, as well as the valve I5, is thus always protected from at atmosphereby means of the water seal in pipe 2, elbow 4, and pipe 8. This preventsthe discharge end of pipe II and valve I5 from becoming encrusted withdried or partly congealed soap, so that once the valve I5 is adjustedthe amount of soap drawn into the water passing through the apparatuswill always remain constant.

It is thus seen that I have provided by my invention a simple apparatusfor mixing liquid soap with water in any desired predeterminedproportion and one which is extremely simple and requires, after oncebeing adjusted, no further manipulation by unskilled or unauthorizedworkmen, and no time is lost in mixing the soap and water, as themixture of the desired proportion may be drawn just as rapidly as theplain water would flow from the usual supply tap. By operation of valve9, any desired amount of a predetermined mixture of liquid soap andwater can be readily obtained. Due to the restriction of orifice III,the water is discharged into the receptacle in such a manner that heavysuds will be formed in the bucket or other receptacle and .a furthermingling and agitation of the soap and water will be effected.

I have illustrated and described the present preferred embodiment of myinvention, but it will be understood that the invention is not onelimited thereto but may be otherwise embodied within the scope of thefollowing claim.

I claim:

A device for mixing liquid soap and water in predetermined proportions,comprising a soap discharge tube for insertion in a container, a watersupply pipe, 8. union between the water supply pipe and the upper end ofsaid soap discharge tube, said union having an interior jet arrangementsuch that a flow of water through the union induces liquid soap to bedrawn from the soap discharge tube into the water, a discharge member onthe outlet side of the union having a manually operable valve forcontrolling the flow of water and soap mixture from the union, thearrangement being such that when the valve is closed water remains inthe union to prevent the congealing of the liquid soap, and a checkvalve in the soap tube to prevent the flow of water from the union backthrough said tube. 20

EDWARD J. MCGRAEL.

